'Fearless' Reviewed
With his new album 'Fearless' Tommy Bonner is Home at last
By Marty Mc Cool
Ballybofey Singer/Songwriter Tommy Bonner (aka StrawMan) is nothing if not a survivor. His newly-released album ‘Fearless’ charts his journey from the darkness of depression to the bright light of redemption. It’s a journey on which he escorts his listeners to cathartic effect in this remarkable and well–conceived record.
I remember a film of the same name from 1993, directed by Peter Weir and starring Jeff Bridges. That, too, is the story of courage, redemption and spiritual vindication. That film carried the tagline “Some people are afraid of nothing” and, having survived a plane crash, the Bridges character systematically conquers his fears through seemingly reckless behaviours which range from standing atop a ledge on a high-rise building to driving a car at speed into a wall and even eating strawberries. Such a sentiment as the aforementioned tagline is applicable to this courageous singer who, in the process of writing and recording this album has faced up his demons and emerged into the light of a new day replete with salvation and opportunity.
The Intro track sets the mood and gives the listener a foretaste of the musical wonderment to come. "The Autumn leaves, dead foliage" on the first track is one of my favourite lines on the album while "I'm not sure how it turns out in the end" highlights that this journey will be one of trepidation and a certain amount of fear, which is understandable given the subject-matter. The second track ‘Too Many Yesterdays’ sees the singer ask when the pain is going to end and one senses a certain impatience in the arrangement here as Tommy Bonner expresses his innermost desire to get on with the life he knew. “The rules kept changing,” he explains with a ferocity that suggests he has simply had enough and is not going to take it any more. The song title is also redolent of The Beatles classic song 'Yesterday'. However, in Tommy Bonner's case, the news is that his troubles are not in fact here to stay; in fact the troubles that plagued him have been shown the door.
The singing on several tracks reminded me of The Doors and here Tommy Bonner conjures something of the spirit of Jim Morrison. One song speaks of "suffering in silence". Remember, this is catharsis; even home is spoken of as an asylum. Bonner never promised anyone an easy-listening album; this is tough stuff. Later on he laments “Thank God I'm not with you now” showing how a man can be overcome by regrets but yet can forge forward into a new day of hope. In an ever–changing world, especially since wretched covid began, it can be very hard to find someone who’s consistent, even among your closest friends and allies. “I can look you straight in the eye” is not something you can do when you are in the depths of depression and hopelessness; it’s only when you come to terms with yourself, face up your demons and accept who you are that you can do that. At long last Tommy Bonner has cast off his inhibitions and gained a sense of who he is to himself.
Self-acceptance is perhaps the toughest form of acceptance and Tommy Bonner has been that soldier, for far too long on the evidence of this record. It's clear that the time has arrived for some long overdue self–affirmation. That this lyric appears in the song suggests Tommy Bonner, through the power of music, has navigated his way successfully to that point. The fourth track ‘Wither’ is a much gentler affair and the piano accompaniment brings out the sensitivity of the singer and is exceptionally emotionally honest.
The centrepiece of the record is ‘Cycle The Volcano Part II’ and the track certainly does not disappoint. Cycling around the top of a real live volcano, perhaps somewhere in Iceland, it’s a pretty hazardous pursuit, right? Or one might also imagine the insanity of cycling close to the edge of the Cliffs of Moher as photographs have proven that some people do. The meaning of this song for me is that Tommy Bonner has cycled the volcano for a long time now; he has overcome the fear factor and now it's time to get off. The singer has the acuity and balance to pull off the stunt again and again. The level of emotional reward for the listener arriving at track ten is hard to quantify.
On every conceivable level 'Fearless' is a triumph from its emotional honesty to the superbly crafted, poetic lyrics. Then there is the crescendo of musical alignment as all the different players converge and the surge of feeling as the song progresses and arrives at its musical Mount Errigal-esque summit. The musical payoff for the listener in track ten alone is alone worth the admission price.
Kudos also to the supporting players Rhys McBride and Ally Doherty (Guitar); Damien McGlenaghy (Drums); David Oliver (Trumpet); Deborah Devenny (Vocals); Jonathan Ball (Harmonica) and album producer Terry McGinty (Bass, Guitar, Piano, Keys. There is stellar work also from James Hennigan, who designed the cover and Lola Devir Bonner who edited it. StrawMan possesses significant musical pedigree; in 2007 Tommy Bonner, who was then frontman of Urban Hermits, gained the enviable distinction of securing a gig in the fabled The Cavern Club where The Beatles started out in Liverpool. In terms of his musical lineage, Tommy Bonner has a lot in common with Richard Ashcroft and at times I even see a bit of Morrissey in him. Closer to home, Tommy Bonner has played such notable venues as Sandino’s in Derry City. In his hometown of Ballybofey this grafter of a musician made a name for himself and honed his skills in venues such as Barcelona Bar and The Millview Inn in Stranorlar.
With the success of this album, Tommy has rightly reaped the rewards of his honest labour. We had a conversation about creativity once and Tommy Bonner said an interesting thing: “It’s not pulling rushes out the back of a mountain…” Hailing as we do from the shadows of the Blue Stack Mountains, that quotation has stayed with me and still speaks to me about the nature of Tommy’s creativity. I've spent significant time with Tommy Bonner. He is not always a comfortable companion. But why should he be? Life has provided few safe harbours or easy answers; on the other hand too often life has yielded the bitterest disappointments. He told me once "I'm not where I want to be musically". Well folks, I have news for you; he is there now. I think, after hearing this magnificent album, he is finally home at last.
The very name StrawMan is interesting and brings to my mind the beloved character from the film The Wizard of Oz (1939) – suggestive of fairytale qualities. He is the first character Dorothy meets on the Yellow Brick Road and when she is saying her goodbyes at the end of the film tells the Straw Man "I think I'll miss you most of all". The Good Witch tells Dorothy to click her slippers together three times. In this concluding scene, where Dorothy is magically transported to her humble farmhouse back in Kansas, she says over and over again “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.” Yes, the Wizard of Oz possesses relevance for the homecoming journey of Tommy Bonner. I for one am glad that you have found your way home. Please do keep up the songwriting Tommy; we are all behind you. The Ballybofey album launch of ‘Fearless’ is this Friday in the Balor Arts Centre. Tommy Bonner will be supported by Mickey Duffy and admission is €10.
(Marty McCool Music Reviews).